Results of the Joint Operations and trainings working group Danube Commission 15. February 2017. Budapest Ádám KALMÁR pol. Lt. Colonel Head of Division Baranya County Police Headquarters Objectives of the working group plan and organize 3 joint operations on the Danube during 2014 elaborate operation plans – (FOP with annexes and national SOP’s) work out and apply the uniform data exchange form for statistics synchronize the joint law enforcement operations in 10 countries run the Temporary Coordination Centre in Mohács, Hungary at the SEB contribute to the more exact analysis and evaluation of law enforcement risks in inland shipping with producing a joint Danube risk analysis material – the DARIF Risk Analyses Chart evaluate the operations completed and draw the conclusions, come to an arrangement with the partners about necessary changes summarize the results of joint operations, supply data to the law enforcement bodies of the participating countries make recommendations on the possibilities of similar joint operations and trainings in the future Page 33 Thematic meetings of the working group . Three thematic workshops were held during the project with 10-15 experts in the team of working group . Experts delegated from Each DARIF state, EU Agencies such as Europol, FRONTEX, Aquapol and the EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) in Moldova and Ukraine . They had experiences in the areas of organising and synchronizing joint law enforcement operations and actions. Summary of the technical workshops: • Joint Operations (JO’s) should be multi-purpose operations • JO’s should focus on documents of seamen, illegal immigration, searching of ships but also to tackle against environmental pollution. • Database of suspicious ships on Danube should be elaborated jointly • Information transfer by the Temporary Coordination Centre has a key importance regarding efficient controls Thematic meetings of the working group • 1st JO would serve as a probe and analysing the traffic, and collected information could be the base of the future JO’s. • During the summer JO, passenger criuse ships and also ownership of yachts, pleasure boats should be checked thoroughly. • During the autumn JO destination ports should be controlled too (during uploading the suspicious ships). • Implementation should cover Danube-Rhine-Main Channel too • During operations, all available databases should be used (national ones, SIS II, but also Interpol and Europol queries shall be sent, and TDW – Aquapol document database shall be used • TCC in Mohács should be a link with other FPO’s (for example in Moldavia, in Serbia). • Working group should accept a so-called Framework Operational Plan, which should be filled up with details in the MS’s. During the operation common incident report form should be used. Thematic meetings of the working group • More increased controls on illegal labour employment (exploitation) • More and more effective use of the INTERPOL and EUROPOL databases (cross check on the available preliminary crew and passenger lists) • Pre-operational phase should be applied • Carry on with joint operations (1 JO/year) in the future, to maintain the teamwork, „Danube Task Force” – a coordination team before the operation, pre-operational phase, organising countries in rotation, receive guest officers (observers - without executive powers). • Develop a special IT application or platform (for real-time information exchange, for the collection of statistical data and the support of risk assessment, for exchange of information of destination ports of cargo vessels. • Organize joint training activities (visits, study trips on new technology or to similar sea coordination and information centres). Trainings on the spot if available • Maintain Danube shipping related risk profiling. Elaboration of common indicators are necessary Participation and duration of JOs Participating Member States of Priority Area 11 of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region and other contributory international organisations aiming to improve the safety and security of the Danube River, have agreed to organize and conduct 3 joint law enforcement operations: • as synchronized actions with setting up NCPs and TCC • carried out in a complex-way • with involvement of their selected national authorities (border- water policing, disaster management bodies and port authorities) • as multi-purpose operations • 3 times for 1 week period including 3 operational days: 1st DARIF Joint Operation:7-11 April 2014. 2nd DARIF Joint Operation: 21-25 July 2014. 3rd DARIF Joint Operation: 10-14 November 2014. Page 77 Principles of the controls and territorial scope MSs have organized their controls according to their demands and responsibilities their own risk assessment – but taking into consideration the DARIF RA Chart and Risk Profiles current situation on the national Danube sections reinforcement sources - choosing purposes and tasks from the list, and setting priorities. (It was not necessary to concentrate to all tasks.) MS’s may differ from the tasks depending on the operational situation. Territorial scope: • River Danube and its riverbanks • important ports and their vicinities (DARIF Member States independently make a decision on the exact locations of the operational activities) • 1st JO was not include the Danube-Rhine-Main Canal Page 88 Responsibility area „10 countries, more than 2,800 kms along the waterway, from the Black Forest to the Black Sea” During 2nd and 3rd JOs: along Rhine–Main– Danube Canal controls were organized in Port of Bamberg, Nürnberg and area of Kelheim by the German Federal Police and Water Police, Customs of Bavaria Page 99 Main objectives were… to detect: • Illegal immigration (THB, SHB, illegal stay etc…) • Smuggling of tobacco, drugs, other dangerous products on board (weapon, armament and ammunition, radioactive materials, external engines) • Document forgery • Wanted persons • Illegal waste transport, environmental crime • Transport of dangerous goods • General waterway law enforcement controls • Controls of destination ports (during unloading suspicious ships) • Controls on labour employment on members of crew Page 1010 Implementation of the operation • Flexible, clear and simple Framework Operational Plan (FOP) has been elaborated and was reconciled with the experts • It regulated the key execution issues only • National operational plans specified tasks of the authorities, in different time periods and places • National sub-plans became the main annex of FOP Page 1111 Implementation of the operation • An annex contained short description of the vessel traffic and the criminal features of the river sections (provided a background for the preparation…) • Activities were supported by Risk Indicators and RA Chart updated since July for profiling (could serve as a „Database of Suspicious Ships” and supports situation- awareness and profile creation) Page 1212 Temporary Coordination Centre (TCC) Temporary Coordination Centre was set up in Mohács, during the operational days between 08:00 and 16:00 hours Staff: Hungarian coordinator (s) + liaison officers of MS’s + Frontex, Interpol, Europol and EUBAM guest officers Tasks performed: keeping daily contact with the national contact points (NCP) liaison officers provide mutual assistance to each other in connection with data requests collecting and forwarding information on the actual state of the sub- operations in Member States operational support given by Interpol and Europol officer (ability to launch mass requests from their data files) exchange of operational experience keeping the contacts with other focal point offices by Frontex guest officer collecting statistical data for the final report of the operation Page 1313 Collecting data and reporting Statistical data was sent on daily bases electronically to the Centre with Data exchange form usage. It also has been evolved by MSs proposals to make it more accurate Member States sent details of their significant offences detected Daily results were summarized and sent out till 1 PM at the latest by the Centre Page 1414 Statistics, trends in total Page 1515 Statistics, trends Page 1616 Significant offences detected – 1st JO SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT RESULTS (altogether in 10 countries) Member Location of Type of detection Name and Type of Perpetrator Quantity State detection nationality of the ship seized the ship Bulgaria Somovit cigarette Rasnov (ROU) fright 1 ROU 940 pieces smuggling Hungary Mohács cigarette Mercur 305 fright 1 ROU 180 pieces smuggling (ROU) Hungary Baja wanted person 1 HUN Austria Vienna illegal stay and Flamenco passenge 4 IDN employment (MLT) r 3 PHL Austria Vienna illegal stay and Der Kleine passenge 7 SRB employment Prinz (DEU) r Austria Vienna illegal stay and Viking Legend passenge 4 SRB employment (CHE) r 11 PHL Austria Vienna illegal stay and Niala (NLD) passenge 1 PHL employment r Austria Vienna illegal stay and Viking Idun passenge 1 SRB employment (CHE) r 12 PHL 3 BIH 1 MKD Most apprehensions (47 persons) in crew aboard passenger cruise ships in Vienna without valid visa, no work-permission at all. Each of the apprehended persons bailed with € 200 and conditioned to immediate leave the Austrian territory. Page 1717 Significant offences detected – 2nd JO SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT RESULTS (altogether in 10 countries) Member State Description of illegal activity detected Bavaria In 2 cases criminal offenses were detected (fish poaching), 12 cases were launched because of administrative offenses (wrong/missing records